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During the Great Depression in the 1930s, cash-strapped state governments looked for new means to increase their treasuries during hard times. In 1934, Massachusetts legalized pari-mutuel racing and, within a year, the Eastern Racing Association—led by Boston Bruins founder and president Charles F. Adams—constructed Suffolk Downs, the state’s first thoroughbred racing track.

Built on 200 acres of mudflats in East Boston, Suffolk Downs opened its doors in July 1935, making front page news throughout the region. Construction had been completed in only 62 days at a cost of $2,000,000. The racetrack included America’s first concrete grandstand; featuring 16,000 seats, it was the largest grandstand in the nation.